Eat Brains Love

Zombie movies have to go a long way to not only get my attention anymore, but to stand out from the pack in general. Ever since The Walking Dead, the resurgence of the genre has become over-saturation. So along comes this goofy movie to do something fun with it. Take a high school coming of age comedy, mix in the nerd/popular kids have to get along trope, toss in a road movie with some law enforcement chasing them, some psychics, and, oh yeah, the zombie virus here is an STD and acts like lycanthropy. It sounds like a lot, but Eat Brains Love manages to blend it really well (with a few stray hiccups). The direction is smart here, knowing when to let each mood come to the forefront. It can bounce between comedy and sweetness and romance and gross-out humor and horror at a moment’s notice, but it never feels jarring or out of place. The three leads are all fun, and the chemistry between Jake (a stoner loser) and Amanda (captain of the cheerleading squad) is enjoyable, both when they’re antagonistic, and as they grow together. The third lead, Cass, is sometimes a bit wishy-washy, but the script gives her reason to be. There’s a lot of fun twists and turns in the script, Amanda isn’t the stereotypical dumb blonde at all (in fact, Jake is the dumber of the two), and there’s some genuine laughs. And the practical effects are outstanding and gross, as a zombie movie should be. And in case you're worried this is some Shaun Of The Dead clone, no. For one, the characters are younger. And for two, unlike Shaun, in this, your lead protags ARE THE ZOMBIES. They're not running from the problem; they ARE the problem. Sometimes. The notable flaws are some wonky acting by some supporting characters (the agent, Tom, is downright dreadful), and the humor sometimes shoots for satire and just comes up as regrettably on the nose. There’s a scene where a government agency is covering up the zombie attack in a high school that kicks off the plot; Amanda and Jake are turned into school shooters in the news, and if that’s a little close to the bone, the school is Dick Cheney High. Moments like these are throwaway, and there’s only a couple, but they’re like a steel drum in a full symphony orchestra; you can feel how out of place they are, even if they’re playing along with the music. Also, there is some DODGY CGI in a few moments. Like, made-for Syfy bad. Again, fleeting, but you will notice. If you’re looking for something fresh and different from a played out genre, Eat Brains Love is a solid watch. You’ll laugh more often than not, it has some genuine sweet moments, and goes by in a breeze.